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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. kid — to tease
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kid — child
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com